My family has a couple of Halloween traditions, if you want to call them that: We eat chili and listen to King Crimson’s Islands. No, I don’t know why. I mean, the chili sort of makes sense, but Islands? Sure, it gets a little spooky about halfway through “Formentera Lady,” but it’s not the most frightening album in my library.
No, if you want to listen to some truly terrifying music, you’ve got to dust off some Ligeti or Suk. Or better yet, really freak out the neighbor kids with some Penderecki. Anything from Utrenja or Polymorphia will do, but his Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima takes it to a whole ‘nother level. And while that’s playing in the background, see if you can make it through Algernon Blackwood’s “The Willows” without screaming like a little girl.
Sweet dreams.
